The present invention relates generally to envelopes, and more particularly, to an improved deposit envelope.
Convenience stores, service stations, and other retail establishments often transact a substantial amount of business necessitating the need for the frequent storage of cash deposits. These deposits often cannot be taken from the place of operation to a banking establishment either due to the lateness of the hour or just because of the efficient utilization of worker time. Consequently, these establishments typically utilize some kind of a receptacle for the temporary storage of cash deposits.
In an effort to deter crime, many such establishments utilize drop safes. These receptacles permit the deposit thereinto of cash. While it is possible to merely empty the cash into the drop safe, the need for an orderly accountability of such cash deposits has resulted in the need to retain individual cash deposits together.
Up until this time, there have been two primary means to retain cash deposits together. The first means has been through the use of rubber bands, string, or other clipping or wrapping mechanisms. The problem with the above means for retaining cash deposits is that some, if not all, of the deposit may become separated from the rest of the deposit either during transmission through a tube or slot into the drop safe, or through the impact of the deposit in the drop safe, or the impact of subsequent deposits upon already dropped deposits.
The second means for making these deposits has been through the utilization of paper envelopes, of the type typically used in mailing letters. Under this approach, the cash deposit is placed in a paper envelope, which paper envelope is then either sealed or just dropped into the safe.
Numerous inventions have been made concerning envelopes. Some even have included provision for apertures formed in at least one panel of the envelope. Examples of this are Daly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,198 and Templet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,863. Daly discloses an interoffice envelope with apertures formed adjacent the side edges of the envelope. A flap 14 is provided for inter-engagement of cooperative retention means 22 and 23 thereby totaling enclosing the contents of the interoffice envelope. Templet discloses a double envelope construction for facsimile handling. The double envelope permits the insertion of a facsimile or copy into one of two pockets formed in the double envelope. Space is provided on the outer flap of the envelope to indicate who the facsimile is for or from as well as other information which may be pertinent to the user.
Several problems exist with using paper envelopes. First, they have a tendency to tear and jam up in drop safes. This tendency towards tearing and jamming is complicated if the envelopes are reused, such that the paper itself becomes weakened. An additional problem occurs if the envelope is not sealed, since spillage of the contents is made easier. A third drawback to the use of paper envelopes exists in the fact that they are not reusable, if sealed. This requires the stocking of sufficient envelopes to account for shift-by-shift and often cashier-by-cashier depositing of the envelopes.
Although none of the above methods are completely satisfactory, heretofore there has been no other apparatus available to store owners which holds funds securely thereby preventing scatter and which permits the orderly accountability of cash deposits. For example, even with the above mentioned means for making cash deposits, none of those discussed permit a store owner to easily ascertain what cash deposit corresponds with a particular shift or cashier.
It is thus apparent that the need exists for an improved deposit envelope which permits a more orderly accountability of cash deposits by cashiers.